Seattle Children's Must Grow Now!
Great news! The Seattle City Council Committee of the Built Environment (COBE - formerly the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee) has set the schedule for upcoming committee meetings addressing Seattle Children's expansion.
Meetings will start Wednesday, January 13th, followed by two additional meetings in January (20th and 27th) and two meetings schedule in February (10th and 25th). We would love to see you there to help show the Seattle City Council the tremendous support for Children's expansion!
Here is a schedule for the upcoming meetings and what members of City Council will be briefed on and discuss at each meeting.
Wednesday, January 13th - 9:30 a.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
The first meeting of the Seattle City Council Committee of the Built Environment (COBE) was a success! We had over 130 people in attendance. Council members were briefed on:
- Where the hospital proposed to expand (Laurelon Terrace and Hartmann) and the requested height limits for the new buildings.
- The need for 250-350 new beds by looking at the relationship between the proposed expansion and the Washington State Department of Health Certificate of Need
- City of Seattle Comprehensive plan
If you weren't able to make it, check out the video from the Seattle Channel here.
Wednesday, January 20th - 9:00 a.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
- How Children's plans to replace housing lost at Laurelon Terrace
- Overview of Children's transportation plan
- Review of the Hearing Examiner's recommended conditions for approval of Children's expansion
Wednesday, January 27th - CANCELLED!
Children's and the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) have each requested a continuance from the City Council to allow more time to prepare their oral arguments. The City Council has granted their requests and postponed the arguments to Wednesday, February 10, 2010.
More information to come!
Wednesday, February 10th - 9:00 a.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
At the Committee on the Built Environment meeting on February 10th, City Council members heard oral arguments from parties who appealed the Hearing Examiner's ruling last August. (originally scheduled for the January 27th meeting).
Lawyers representing Seattle Children's and the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) presented an agreement reached between the two parties - read the statement from Children's CEO, Dr. Thomas Hansen here.
Thursday, February 25th - 2:00 p.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
- Report back with additional information about issues raised during previous meetings
- Committee will begin discussions concerning Council's findings, conclusions and decision
Thursday, March 11th - 2:00 p.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
- Continued discussion with recommendations concerning Council's findings, conclusion and decision
Thursday, March 25th - 2:00 p.m. at City Hall (2nd floor, Council Chambers)
Quasi-Judicial Rules and Communication
We really appreciate all of your support of Children's over the last two and a half years! We wanted to remind everyone that the Council's rules for consideration of quasi-judicial matters, such as Children's expansion, forbid "ex-parte" communications with the Council on the merits of the Master Plan from persons who favor or oppose its approval.
Communication to members of the Council, whether by regular mail, email, phone or any other method that touches on the subject of Children's proposed Master Plan, would be outside the bounds of acceptable communication.
Share your story with us or let us know how you'd like to help the expansion effort - send us an email to info@friendsofchildrenshospital.org
